Midnight Waltz
by LadyDraco917
Summary: They say that, while two people are dancing, their inner most passions and desires and laid bare to their partner. This is just one case in which the intricate steps of a dance have brought two kindred souls together. A Smoke Break Production.
1. Default Chapter

Midnight Waltz (1/?)

By: LadyDraco

Warnings: Umm...I suppose none except for the fact that you all should really watch out for Dorothy's eyebrows. They're dangerous!

Disclaimer: Sadly I do not own Gundam Wing and even more sadly probably never will. I simply borrow the characters for my own sick, twisted ways.

A/N: And we all love the Quatre/Dorothy mix, do we not? Well I felt I could make this work, so, here we go. And now ladies and gentlemen enjoy the show. This is a Smoke Break production.

Chapter 1: A Glass of Champaign

A blonde young man wondered the lavishly decorated halls that led to the Sank Kingdom's main orchard. As Quatre Raberba Winner entered the orchard it was as if he had stepped through a portal to a more elegant and gentler time. In the middle of the orchard was a large, makeshift dance floor. The flowers and plant life of the orchard gave the surroundings a simple beauty that Quatre appreciated; off to the side of the dance floor was an orchestra playing soothing music as the stars smiled overhead. Touches illuminated the garden and people but were used in vain because of the majestic moon that lit up the night sky. The orchard exhibited such beauty that Quatre had to catch his breath.

The heir of the Winner family gazed at the people around him: dancing, mingling, and eating. Quatre could feel their happiness radiating off them. The guests were nobles and leaders of their respective countries. All had come to further the peace that the Sank Kingdom stood for. Their daughters, students of Relena Peacecraft's Institution of pacifism. The reason of their meeting was to discover and, more or less, showcase how much their daughters had learned. Quatre wondered for a moment about Relena Peacecraft. He knew she would come to the ball to give a speech, but he doubted that she would stay the entire time. The young woman was weighted down with the responsibility of ruling a kingdom. Relena was a leader that would stop those who could not help but fight and bring peace to the world once more. Quatre just hoped that she would not cave under the pressure.

He did not bother to look around for Heero Yui, his fellow Gundam pilot. Quatre knew that his anti-social companion would be somewhere training hard for the never-ending battles the Gundam pilots faced. Just like Heero, Quatre was a warrior and had fought in more battles than he could count. The fair-haired pilot wanted more than anything not to have to fight, but he could not control it at the moment. The people around him knew nothing of the harshness of war, only happiness and comfort. Instead of feeling bitter, Quatre was pleased. He did not want them to know what it felt like to kill. They did not need to be Gundam pilots.

Quatre walked slowly, examining the exquisite flowers. As he passed by, people smiled warmly and shook his hand, intrigued by one of the only male students.

Quatre felt a wave of guilt wash over him. They thought that he was a student, but he was far from it. He was a killer and a murderer. He was unable to be a total pacifist, but the deception was necessary. Quatre pushed his guilt to the back of his mind and concentrated on a red-haired girl. She was pulling a young man after her, probably her brother, to a circle of girls. The youths discomfort was obvious to Quatre. The boy's sister giggled as she sent him off to dance with one of her friends. Quatre chuckled at the awkwardness of the lad, but at the same time Quatre wondered if he would have been just like the young man had he not become part of Operation Meteor. Quatre stopped himself and frowned. Was he jealous of the boy? He froze, thinking. The past could not be changed. It did no good to ponder the what if's. He could only follow his own path. He was not jealous. His smile returned. It did him good to be around happy people. They reminded him of what he was fighting for. They needed someone to protect them. Quatre took a glass of wine from a waiter, savoring its coolness in his hand.

Quatre gazed idly at the crowd. He leaned against a massive pillar and relaxed in the jovial environment. The kind-hearted pilot then caught sight of Dorothy Catilonia. He stood up straight, watching her with interest. Dorothy stood with a group of girls. She was with them but also seemed to be apart from them. She wore a long, white, sleeveless gown with elbow length white gloves. The torchlight played across her hair. In Quatre's eyes she looked strong but also delicate and fragile. He had seen Dorothy around at school and knew that she advocated wars, but he did no know why. Quatre suddenly felt a strong determination overtake him. He set down his wineglass. Without a second thought, Quatre Raberba Winner started in Dorothy Catilonia's direction to find an answer.

Dorothy Catilonia listened with half an ear to the girls around her. The girls were foolish, in Dorothy's opinion. They wanted total peace without war. All they could do was blindly follow Miss Relena. Dorothy was growing tired of their senseless prattle. All they talked about were boys. Didn't they know there were more important topics to discuss? A brown haired girls next to Dorothy, Katrina-a rather bossy girl- giggled, bringing Dorothy out of her reverie.

"Look. That's Quatre Raberba Winner. He is _so _cute," said Katrina blushing. "I dropped my books one day, and he picked them up for me. He even carried them while walking me to class."

A blond girl, who Dorothy remembered as Margaret, spoke quietly. "Yeah, he is cute, but I think the other boy is cutter."

Katrina took this as a personal offence. "How can you like Heero Yui? He's _way _too anti-social. Quatre's _much_ better."

The other girl sniffled, brushing her hair out of her face. "Well, it does not matter anyway. He's coming this way so we'd better stop talking about him."

Another girl smiled slyly. "Maybe he's coming to ask one of us to dance." The girls, minus Dorothy, all started to giggle but managed to regain control when Quatre reached them.

Dorothy kept her face impassive. She could not help but feel disgusted by the way the girls acted. Quatre greeted the girls, but went directly to Dorothy, where he bowed with a smile on his face. The young pilot extended his hand to Dorothy.

"Good evening, Miss Catilonia. May I have the honor of this dance?" Eloquence oozed out of each word and movement.

Dorothy covered her surprise with a polite smile, which could have easily been a predator's. _What is the Gundam pilot doing?_ She asked herself. It did not make sense to Dorothy.

She looked into his eyes, blue like her own, and placed her hand in his. "Why of course, Mister Winner. I would be delighted."

Curious/semi-jealous gazes followed Quatre and Dorothy as they walked to the dance floor and assumed a stiff dancing posture. They began to waltz in relative silence. Dorothy tried to fill the silence. "I must admit, Mister Winner. I am a bit curious as to why you asked me to dance. Did you wish to talk?" Dorothy slightly sneered. Her words seemed to hold respect and contempt simultaneously.

Quatre shook his head. "I _do_ want to talk to you, but later. We should enjoy the dance right now."

Dorothy looked as if she would argue, but she saw that Quatre had closed his eyes, loosing himself in the dance. Dorothy smiled sardonically. She could play along with his game. She would soon have the information she wanted.

Dorothy slowly began to relax as the music washed over her. The melody was simple but moving. Before Dorothy knew it, she too was lost in the gentle music. Everything forgotten as they danced.

Unnoticed to the partakers of the dance, the flowing melody changed to an intense, frantic song. The tempo was beating fast, as did Quatre and Dorothy's hearts. They began to dance intricate steps that neither had ever learned as they followed the rapid beat. The middle of the ballroom soon gave way to them. The other couples stopped dancing in awe of the swiftness, and gracefulness of Quatre and Dorothy's movements. They glided away from the middle of the floor to the edge where the garden began. Applause followed them, but neither of the two noticed.

The music began to slow. Quatre and Dorothy swayed as the old tempo reestablished itself. Dorothy felt warm and comfortable in Quatre's gentle embrace. The song began to dwindle into nothing. As it faded, she became once again aware of her surroundings. Dorothy's eyes jerked open as she realized that her head was resting on Quatre's shoulder. She recoiled from him breaking the trance that the gentle waltz had placed on them both. Dorothy cursed herself. How could she have let down her defenses? She had worked so hard to build those walls around herself, but they had crumbled.

She looked into his ocean blue eyes. She expected to see triumph over winning that small battle, but there was only concern in them. Concern? Dorothy's mind was reeling. Concern for her? Why would he care? Dorothy turned away from him trying to regain her self-control. She maneuvered her features into an enthusiastic smile. She clasped her hands together and turned back to him in a rush.

"Mister Winner. You said you wanted to speak to me. It seems the music has stopped. Shall we start our conversation now?" Dorothy said in a cheery voice. Before he could speak, she continued. Her voice still carried the false excitement that she used to patronize Relena. "I think we can dispense with the formalities and get to the main point of this meeting." She paused, letting a laugh fill the space. "You and I are similar, are we not Quatre? We are both warriors, but you refuse to accept the glory and beauty of battles. Do you understand how really foolish that is? Are those not the reasons wars are fought?"

Quatre stared past her. "I'd rather think that wars are fought to protect things like what we just felt in that dance." He said quietly.

Dorothy opened her mouth, but no words came. She let her arms fall to her sides. There was an uncomfortable silence. She wanted to deny everything he had said, but something stopped her. Had she felt something during that dance? Her hands formed fists. Why did this boy affect her so?

Quatre focused his gaze back on Dorothy. "I fail to understand why you are so attached to wars. Peace can be so beautiful." His tone was sincere.

"But war can be just as marvelous. The feeling felt by the soldiers is glorious." Said Dorothy enthusiastically.

"No they are not, Dorothy. I know that from experience." Quatre said with a deep pain in his eyes. "I've done horrible things. Wars are painful. If everyone stops fighting, we can live in peace. Miss Relena will lead us."

Dorothy snorted. "Yes, Quatre, we will have peace, but you can not deny the beauty of war. To do so would be to shame the memories of the countless soldiers who have died in battle."

"That's not true, but let's forget about that for right now." He paused. Dorothy could tell he was at the point of the discussion that he was most anxious about. "Dorothy, while we danced, I sensed that something has hurt you in your past. You have a deep wound. I want to help you."

Dorothy's eyes flared. "Do no assume that you understand me." Dorothy spat angrily. _How **dare **he imply such a thing?!_ "You know nothing about me!" She turned to leave.

Quatre grabbed her hand causing her to stop. "But I would if you told me. Let me help you." He said soothingly.

Dorothy spun back to him. Her hand still in Quatre's gentle but firm grasp. She was suddenly aware of how close they were standing. She could feel his breath on her face. She wondered if she was as imposing to him as he was to her. They stared at each other in silence. Dorothy broke away from his steady gaze, noticing that it was becoming quite late. Some of the guests were already departing. The music still played while a cool evening breeze ruffled her hair. She let her gaze drift back to Quatre, who was still staring at her. The moonlight illuminated Quatre's pale features. The young noble looked like a blond-haired angel, Dorothy realized with a start. It was not only his physical being that was angelic, there was a warmth that surrounded him, infinite tenderness and kindness. These were not the trademarks of a warrior. Dorothy gave Quatre a hate-filled glare.

"I believe that you are not a strong fighter, Quatre." Dorothy drawled quietly and dangerously. "It was simply enchanting to speak with you. Now I must leave you, but we will meet again, Quatre Raberba Winner." She wrenched her hand from his grip. Quatre let her go. Dorothy left the orchard and climbed unsteadily up a grassy hill in the direction of the student dormitories.

_What is it about that boy? He is the weakest of the Gundam pilots_. She thought. But why had he affected her in a way only few had before? When Dorothy usually engaged the battlefield of conversation, she was in complete control, only letting certain emotions slip through her self-imposed mask. Her voice was always mocking, filled with false cheerfulness. She would find her opponent's weak point and use it toward her advantage.

Battling this boy had been different, though. She had fled. Was it because of his innocence or his kindness? Kindness. Dorothy snorted. Kindness was overrated. As she thought about Quatre, she could remember faint glimmerings of the kindness that she had felt in the depths of her childhood. Perhaps that was why the battle had been different. He reminded her too much of her past self. Quatre's idealism was almost sickening to her. Peace would not come without a price. She had once thought like Quatre, but she had long since rid herself of that useless feeling, kindness.

As she reached the top of the hill she felt something compel her to look back. Dorothy turned around and stood amid the dark ocean of grass, her hair flowing behind her. To her surprise, the blonde angel was still standing in the exact same place she had left him, watching her with such sincere concern that Dorothy flinched. His eyes seemed to be willing her to rejoin him. Before Dorothy could find fault with this unspoken message, a thought crossed her mind. She _could_rejoin him. It was an almost dizzying prospect. Possibilities floated through her head. He would hold her with those gentle arms of his. She would be able to feel the happiness that she had only felt early in her childhood. She would confide in him, all the hardships and worries she had faced after her father's death, and he would murmur comforting things in her ear as he stroked her hair. Dorothy would be able to see the understanding in his warm, blue eyes. They would...

Dorothy stiffened. They would...what? Live happily ever after? She grimaced bitterly at her own foolishness. Those were the fantasies of a normal girl. Dorothy Catilonia was no normal girl. She was a warrior. She would not let that idealistic fool bother her any longer. She was not weak like him. She would be strong like her father and enjoy the beauty of battles until peace could be won. Dorothy spun on her heel. She strode confidently toward the dormitories. Her precious self-assurance momentarily restored. _Never again_, she promised herself. _I won't let my walls crumble ever again_. "You may have won this battle, Mister Winner," She said quietly to herself. "But we'll see who wins the war." There was a dangerous undertone to her voice, as she allowed a smirk to grace her features. Dorothy, then, disappeared into the student dormitories.


	2. Dans le Silence de la Nuit

Midnight Waltz (2/?)

By: LadyDraco

Rated: PG13 just in case.

Warning: Umm.... I suppose none except for the fact that you all should really watch out for Dorothy's eyebrows. They're dangerous!

Disclaimer: Sadly I do not own Gundam Wing and even more sadly probably never will. I simply borrow the characters for my own sick, twisted ways. So don't sue...you won't get much.

A/N: And we all love the Quatre/Dorothy mix, do we not? Well, I felt I could make this work, so, here we go. And now ladies and gentlemen enjoy the show. This is a Smoke Break production.

Chapter 2: Dans le Silence de la Nuit

Quatre watched Dorothy climb the grassy hill. _Why is she so attached to war?_ Quatre thought. _Dorothy, why can't you tell me_? _Something has hurt you so. I want to help._ Quatre noticed that she had stopped at the top of the hill, which appeared in the moonlight to be a great wave of green, and was now staring at him. He wished with all his heart that she would come back. There were so many questions still unanswered. Quatre knew Dorothy was hiding something, that was why she was so defensive, but as he looked up into her eyes he saw something else. He saw hope. Desire. Longing. And.... fear. Fear of kindness? Yes, these were the things he had felt during their dance. However, there was still something else. Something that escaped definition by such simple terms. But what?

Quatre came out of his reverie in time to see Dorothy turn around and walk confidently away. _A false confidence_, he thought. He stood there in a daze.

"Dorothy," he whispered with a longing concern that made the timber of his voice strange to his own ears.

A sad, pained smile graced his face. He slowly closed his eyes and gently shook his head. He started out of the orchard, walking slowly to the top of the sloping hill. When he reached the top he turned around for another look at the orchard and all its simple splendor. The view was enchanting. There was no other word to describe it. The moonlight played across the vast landscape filled with trees of all kinds, casting long shadows onto the ground. The sweet fragrance of flowers was on the tip of every cool evening breeze. Quatre couldn't help but give a small sigh. _It's so hard to find such a peaceful place in time of absolute war._ _It would be such a shame if this place were destroyed._ With a reserved sigh he turned and walked slowly back to the room he shared with Heero Yui.

* * *

Dorothy did not really realize just how late it was until she arrived at her room. When she opened the door her roommates, Katrina and Margaret, were already asleep. She tiptoed in quietly, as not to disturb them. If they caught her coming in at this hour, she would be bombarded with questions she would rather not answer. She quietly walked past their beds and into her own private room that branched off the other girls'. Once inside the sanctity of her own room she sat down on her own bed and removed her white high-heeled shoes, dropping them at the end of the bed. Standing back up she removed her gloves, placing them neatly beside her shoes. She them made her way to the bathroom. _A shower, _she thought, _yes, maybe that will help clear my head._

Dorothy stepped into the warm shower, the water washing over her body in delicate streams. _This feels so good, _she thought. Pouring a large amount of shampoo into her long hair she progressed to massage it into her scalp until her head was a mass of bubbles and foam. The sweet smell of lavender shampoo drifted up to her in a warm comfortable embrace. _The same warmth, _she thought to herself, _as when I was in Quatre's arms. _She stopped abruptly, hands falling to her sides.

"Like in Quatre's arms." She repeated to herself out loud. "What is it about that boy?" she demanded, "Why does he make me feel this way? I am a warrior. I have no place for such foolishness!"

She didn't even realize when soapy bubbles ran into her eyes causing them to water. Salty tears mixed with water from the showerhead streaming down her soft, pale cheeks. And so she stood until the water ran cold.

Once out of the shower, dried off, and with her long blond hair dried, she found her nightgown in a drawer and slipped into it. Her nightgown was made of fine silk, ice blue, that matched her eyes. Perfectly. It fell just above her knees, its neckline scooped down into a semi-circle. This was supported by thin straps that hung delicately on her shoulders. She brushed her long, golden locks once more before tying it back with a ribbon made of the same fine silk as her nightdress. Dorothy turned off the bathroom light and walked back into her bedroom. She glanced at the clock. The bright neon numbers glared back at her, 12:37 A.M.

"Thank God we don't have classes tomorrow." She said quietly, crawling into bed. In a few minutes she fell into a restless sleep.

Dorothy awoke with a start, cold sweat running down her face. She touched a shaking hand to her forehead. _What a horrible dream! _She thought, _Almost a nightmare._

"No," she said aloud, "I haven't had nightmares since my childhood. Not since...my father's death."

The dream came flooding back to her in a rush. She watched the horrific scene of her father's death all over again. She watched his blood being shed over the battlefield, flowing like a river of crimson death. She saw herself crying out for help. Love. Sympathy. But receiving nothing, no one offering help. Then that golden haired angel appeared, his words echoed through her head like a prayer. _"You have a deep wound. I want to help you."_ She shook her head vigorously. What was this boy doing to her?

"I must get out, clear my head." Dorothy muttered to herself, "A walk, yes, I'll go for a walk."

Without another thought Dorothy got out of her bed, walked out of her room, into the hallway, and out onto the grounds of the school.

* * *

Quatre just could not sleep. He was too restless. All his thoughts were swirling around the night's events. Something just did _not_feel right. His thoughts were being interrupted more frequently by images of Dorothy. He remembered fondly the warmth that Dorothy had brought him while they had danced, and how empty and bereft he had felt when she jerked away. And he still didn't understand why Dorothy advocated war. _Why was she so quick to judge me?! Dorothy..._

"Dorothy..."

"Quatre." Heero's sharp tone shook Quatre out of his rather odd train of thought, "Are you alright?"

"What? Oh...yes, I'm fine Heero. I was just thinking. I'm sorry, did I disturb you?"

"Hmm" was the only reply he got from the stoic pilot. Quatre looked outside at the harvest moon slowly rising in the night sky. He picked himself off his bed and walked to the glass doors that led to the balcony. The room Quatre shared with Heero had a spectacular view of the Institution's gardens. He stared out of the glass doors, one hand against the glass as if trying to touch something that was just out of his reach.

"Heero, I'll be right back. I'm going to go on a short walk." Quatre said suddenly, "Might help me sleep." Without delay he was out the door and well down the hallway.

* * *

Dorothy had no idea how long she had been walking, or where she was walking, for that matter. All her concentration was on one subject. Or rather, one person. _Why? Why him? Why now? This has never happened before. This should not happen. This is **not** happening! _She ran a hand nervously through her hair. Dorothy's pace had slowed, and she suddenly realized where she was.

While deep in thought, Dorothy had walked right back into the gardens, and she was now standing on the same dance floor where this torrent of emotions had started. And there at the other end of the makeshift dance floor was the person who had been on her mind none-stop since the early evening.

"Quatre..." she gasped. _No! Not here! Not now! _And for the first time in years, Dorothy Catilonia experienced panic. _I have to get away! I'm not ready to face him, not yet!_ Dorothy did the only thing she could think of. She ran. For how long she didn't know, but she ran. Through the fragrant grass and flowering trees. She ran until her legs seized and her lungs felt like they were going to burst and her veins pumped battery acid. Still, she could hear Quatre's footsteps getting ever louder behind her. Then she came upon the perfect way to escape. Just ahead of her was a maze of ten-foot tall hedges. She could run there, lose him in the intricacies of the maze, hide at the very center where Quatre would never find her. With renewed energy fueled by her desperation, she plunged headlong into the right entrance of the maze.

* * *

Quatre headed towards the orchards, blindly hoping that Dorothy would be there. He started off at a walk, slowly through the silent school grounds, and then he broke into a running jog. His mind was swirling, all he could think about was getting there. He wanted, no, _needed_ to see her again. To make her explain everything, to help ease her pain, to bring back the happiness he knew she wanted so desperately.

Suddenly he stopped. Quatre had reached the dance floor in the orchard. There, framed in a beam of moonlight, was the one he had sought. She was wearing nothing but a nightdress of pale blue that complimented her pale skin, long thin legs and bare feet. Her long hair tired back in a ribbon, but not yet restrained from fluttering in the wind. Quatre realized, in that moment, where they simply stared into each other's eyes, just how beautiful she was. He saw her eyes widen with shock, as her pink lips murmured his name. Quatre took a step forward, hand outstretched, reaching for her. What happened next was so unexpected he was caught completely off guard. Dorothy turned and ran. Before Quatre knew what he was doing, he found himself running after her.

He chased her for what felt like an eternity. Calling her name, telling her, begging her to stop, but in vain for she seemed not to hear his pleas. They ran through the orchard, through its many gardens full of fragrant flowers and blossoming trees. She ran and he gave chase until they had passed into a part of the garden Quatre had never seen before. Suddenly a maze of hedges rose up before him. This seemed to give Dorothy a sudden burst of speed as she made for the maze, hair flying wildly behind her. In that instant of flying hair and falling ribbon he lost her around an edge of the maze. Quatre kept running, _I can't loose her. Not now. I have to keep going. I have to find her!_ He shot forward, but too late. Dorothy had already disappeared into the maze.

Quatre stopped just at the entrances to the maze. There where two entrances to the hedge maze, one to the left and another to the right. _Two entrances. That seems familiar...I know I've heard about a maze with two entrances before. _Quatre stood in thought;_ I don't have time for this! Which one do I take? If I go right..._but he stopped just as he was about to enter. His heart was telling him, left. He should go left. There was one thing Quatre always believed in, trusted, and that was what his heart told him was right. So, against what his mind was telling him would be the most logical path, Quatre took to the left entrance running at a dead sprint, around corners, down straight paths. Left, then right, around corners, twisting ever closer to the middle. As he ran down one straightaway, he could hear harsh breathing just on the other side of the hedge. _Dorothy!_

He put on a sudden burst of speed taking a left turn, letting his heart guide him, even though the sound of her breathing was getting further and further away. He took another right, then ran down another straight, and then turned once more to the right and emerged into a courtyard. In the center was a beautiful fountain with four angels of stone sitting around its edge, water spilling out of a jug that each carried. There were rose bushes encircling the small courtyard with the most exquisite roses of blush pink and deep blood red. To the right of the fountain was a bench made of intricately carved wood meant for two. Quatre's gaze came to rest on an opening in the maze opposite him, and there, beyond the fountain, across the courtyard, the one person Quatre had wished with all his heart and soul would be there...

Quatre drew in a shaking breath. "Dorothy." Her name came out as nothing but a tremulous whisper.


End file.
